Though I live in California, the climate here is close to PNW. I have a number of old HTs. Usually they are smaller in stature than what one is used to in HTs. I had to be patient with many of them as they slowly built up. The least strong seem to be the pernitianas.
Here's some favorites:
Padre
Madame Carolyn Testout
Madame Nicholas Aussel
Grace Darling
Ophelia
Mrs. Henry Morse
Augustine Guinesseau
Souvinier de Marcel Boulange(I think I spelled that incorrectly)

I have Lafter and he (don't know why I think of Lafter as a male, but I do) is a monster. I bought him by mistake, picked up the wrong container, but I'm glad I made that particular mistake. I have him by Skyrocket and I love the combination of the reds and oranges. He is an easy keeper and thrives on minimal care. He doesn't bloom as much as some of my others, but he does bloom on and off through spring to late fall. I'm not passionate about Lafter (the way I'm passionate about Mrs B.R. Cant, for example) but he is a fine rose and I smile with delight when looking at him in bloom.

Michele

Climbing Mme Caroline Testout and Climbing La France survived here for over 30 years with no care whatsoever, LF in the yard of our current house before we moved in, and MCT in the yard of a neighbor's house that was vacant. They both climbed up trees and were still blooming, happy, and practically disease free when we moved into our house, and the neighbor's house was sold, and the roses were "rescued". Speaks to their all-over "hardiness", I think.

Jackie

Gean, I really like Radiance. It's a great rose, the blooms are lovely on the bush and in a vase.

The one I have is 'Betty', from 1905. I got it from Vintage Gardens, and in their catalog and on their website is a photo and description. I simply fell for it, not sure why, and it has become my favorite. I just love this little rose (little so far, but this is only its second Spring). I don't know how it would be for you in the PNW, of course, but it seems to me like a very happy rose. Its blossom is a blend of cream and a light warm pink, with some yellow at the base of the petals that give it an inner glow when it's fully open. It does open pretty quickly from a sedate bud to a rather blowsy biggish bloom, but I love blowsy. And it lasts much longer than you think it's going to. I asked about its eventual size on HelpMeFind (where it has an info page and some photos), and had the great good fortune to be answered by Billy Teabag, one of the authors of the Australian Tea Rose book. She loves it, too, and had some interesting things to say about it.

Gean, I have two, Mme Abel Chatenay and Climbing Mme Caroline Testout. Gorgeous close-up photos were the first attraction (shallow me), but also the smaller size of some of the old HT bushes. Smaller fits better in a small garden. So using Vintage's size charts and hours of time, I made a list of those that seemed most BS resistant (not a real long list). MAC is wonderfully BS resistant (not BS-free) and has gorgeous fat blooms pretty continuously on quite a small bush so far (2 years). I think she shows her HP genes by going bare in December until she leafs out right about now. Cl MCT gets BS. It's embarrassing but not horrible and is far outweighed by the flowers. I wanted more but, alas, it was not to be.

Sherry

I love LaFrance inspite of it's faults, Madame wargram is a great beauty that I love I don't have Kaiserin Augusts viktoria but have always
Admired it I do have jp soupert & would recommend it a 1940's charmer Emily is worth having & the color is not everyones cup of tea but Hector deane is a real treat

'Radiance' is a fairly common survivor in the PNW, I believe, so it sounds like a good one to try, as well as the big sport family. A very common old HT all over Italy is 'Mme. Jules Bouché', a splendid rose in every way. This rose leans strongly toward the Teas and I don't know how she'd do in your conditions, but she's definitely a tough rose and evidently adaptable.
Melissa

Gean, Madame Jules Bouche indeed does well here. I bought mine from Sequoia years ago when I first started growing roses. You should also look into the whole group of Polyanthas. There are a few nicely scented ones and almost all are quite disease resistant here plus they have the tea style twiggy growth.

Lance

I went through your lists and looked up everything. I've not really branched into the early ht's before and was really intrigued by HMF and Vintage's descriptions, the lineages I saw on the roses you mentioned.

I'll do a more careful search later to figure out what might work best for me but it was fun looking up what you all love. Lots of tea influence and some smaller sizes (right again, Sherry!) which is what I need in my small garden here.

I'd like Radiance because of its ties to Enchanter and because it seems like such a fine rose. I'd really like to learn more about Ophelia and some of its family as well. And La France, well, it's famous. Others you mentioned seemed like treasures -

I grow no spray so will have to choose carefully. Thank you. I'm sure I'll ask more ?'s later.

thank you.

I have wondered about how polyanthas do here. I brought several of them with me that I got through Ashdowns and that were doing terribly in Alabama. I had really hoped that a change of scenery was what they all needed. Thanks for that.

Mme. Jules Bouche was one that had my mouth watering. My gosh, they're all so beautiful in pictures, so personal knowledge is really helpful.

Hi, Gean -
All I can do is add to the amen chorus for several of the roses mentioned - Mme Jules Bouche is simply gorgeous, definitely an HT in its upright growth but wonderful flowers. Kaiserin Auguste Viktoria is planted in the front bed at the cemetery, behind the welcoming sign, and earns its front-and-center position by its graceful plant form and nearly constant flowering. I love Mme Caroline Testout, but do have to mention its formidable sharp triangle-shaped prickles - the climber is especially a hazard, and it's startling to see the rose in winter without leaves when you can really observe how much of each cane is fiercely armed! We have a Mrs. Charles Bell that sports back to Radiance. I like Radiance better but it's fun when the plant has both blooms at once. We have a climbing form of Viscountess Folkestone, and what big, blowsy, shell pink flowers it produces.

Luanne doesn't seem to post here very often any more. I hope she is ok. She was the queen of early HTs, it always seemed to me, and used to make me weak at the knees with her photos of her roses (even though she said they would talk to her and complain and boss her around). She'd probably have another dozen to add to the list you already have.
Anita

Anita,
I thought that maybe Rosefolly was enticing Luanne with her question about roses being people because, doncha know, that LA was the queen of rosetalk with her babies. I miss those threads, her inventive mind and her pictures.

And thanks for the suggestions. My, I love roses!

If I were you I would not throw in the towel on Teas...you are zone 8 like Lance and he grows them-and you are fairly close to the sound? The biggest issue with them is they need that warmer soil earlier than I can give it to them. Mine took too long to wake up to ever get any size but I am higher, cooler and wetter. I only have one left and dont know its name since the Stellars Jays pulled the tag off but it hangs in there.

patricia

Another one you might want to consider is Hoag House Cream from Vintage which is described as "decadently fragrant" in Member Comments on HMFR. The blooms are beautiful and sumptuous. I have a rose friend who has it and can't wait to see her first blooms.

Ingrid

Patricia,
I have G. Nabonnand, Devoniensis, Mme. Melanie Willermoz, Le Vesuve and Faith Whittlesey. Lance gave me a lot of advice on how to try grow and place them, which I've tried to follow. If they do well, I may add more, but I'm really also trying to branch out and plant other things. I really do appreciate the encouragement, though. And yes, I'm close to the water, just a little north of Bremerton. Where are you?

Ingrid, thanks; I'll check it out. I love fragrance in roses.

Gean

I live up the Skagit Valley which is way north of you-and the other side of the Sound of course-not too terribly far from the town of Mount Vernon if you have a map handy. We are around 100 ft elevation as the valley rises. We get snow when they dont in town.
I dont grow Ht's as they mostly spot terribly here-but I am much wetter than you are. People here think it is the Humidity which for some one from the south is a JOKE-they do not know humidity. I will use a little Sulfur or Copper sulfate if pressed to the wall on a favorite rose. I do grow chinas and Polyanthas very well-even Clotilde Soupert which opens nicely after the spring-I usually cut off the early buds to save time and disapointment. I can grow Noisettes which I did not expect. They do exceptionally well. Mostly I grow Gallicas and Mosses which you can now grow to perfection and Albas with the most amazingly long bloom because it is so cool here into the summer.
I tried Le Vesuve and lust after Devoniensis. I tried the climber. I have a whole page of Teas that I tried somewhere..totally not pertinent to you-you are warmer and dryer......

patricia

Patricia, which chinas do you grow? and noisettes?

Dev is a heart throb of a rose, so I completely understand frustration at not being able to grow it. I have my doubts about it here, too.

Ditto about humidity comments; someone told me the other day it was humid here in the summer. All I could do was say, "huh???"

I havent totally failed with a China that I can think of-of course it matters what is being called a china these days.
Arethusa does particularly well, Old Blush, Slaters, Viridiflora, Rival de Paestum did ok but I pulled it out. I think I have Fabvier if the id is right. I have had Comtesse du Cayla in a pot for years because I needed to move it and it doesnt have a home. It came through the evil winter of 08/09 in good shape. Fellemberg was still out there last time I looked but that one also lists as a Noisette. Hermosa was recently moved for a wall..Im not sure it will go back in. I doubt they will ever be as large as you could grow.
Noisettes
Aimee Vibert
Blush Noisette
Caroline Marniesse
Champenys Pink
Crepuscule
La Biche
Mary Washington
Nastarama
Princesse de Nassau
plus some of the found ones
I have lost Jaune Deprez twice and Elie Beauvilian but it wasnt a good plant. William Allan Richardson died on me but I want to try that one again-the yellows are dicey.
I do grow Mme Alfred Carrier and Gloire de Dijon as well-both can freeze on me. I have a few new babies to try. I am thinking for you have fun!!

All good suggestions here. I especially second La France, although it is usually not a strong grower, Mme Caroline Testout, and Mme Jules Bouche.

A few more favs of mine:

Kaiserin Auguste Viktoria, a very beautiful early white HT, bred by Peter Lambert in 1891.

Ophelia and her sports, the epitome of early HT beauty - and scent!

Also, Mme Jules Bouche, quite charming.

Andrea

Andrea, thanks so much. It seems a lot of people like Mme. Jules Bouche!

Patricia, La Biche is one I brought with me. I am hoping it likes it here; I really like that rose. Mary Washington and Aimee Vibert are ones that were on my Alabama list - if I find the room I may try them too. Glad they grow for you - and Crepuscule grows for you, that's great. That is a nice list of noisettes. I also brought Old Grey Cemetery noisette; it has the prettiest blooms. I hope it does well here too. You've given me hope! Thank you.

I forgot I also have Garnet Crest, another of the Viru Viraraghavan teas. I have heard that those teas are bred in India are a higher elevation and it stays quite cool there during the summers and they do very well with cool summers. I hope high hopes for both GC and FW to do well here. fingers crossed.

Thanks so much, both of you. Gean

Gean, DEFINITELY go for the Radiance clan. I actually love Red Radiance more than the original pink -- and I love the striper, Careless Love, but it lacks the wonderful vigor of the other three.
I really like Irish Fireflame, too.
And Mme. Caroline Testout was disease-free here, until I lost her to some fast-moving plague.

Jeri

I'm so glad I discovered this thread, albeit belatedly. I'm just tippy-toeing into the old HTs and so far am very happy. Gruss an Coburg is vigorous and beautiful. It gets a little blackspot (I think it's a Pernetiana) but not enough for me to stop loving it. We also just got Thomasville Old Gold, another beauty but less vigorous so far. I'm hoping to get Red Radiance before too long. With all the old teas we have, we need some red in the garden.

I'd love to hear any other recommendations.

lbuzzell, I'm the poster that mentioned 'Betty', AKA Venucci Bicolor, in the earlier part of this thread. I can also mention two other early HTs. One is 'Angels Mateu', a Pedro Dot Pernetiana, 1934 - small and slow to get going, but absolutely gorgeous flowers, apricot/dark salmon/gold, good-sized. Very fragrant, also very thorny. The other early HT is 'Nigrette', also a small one. The blooms are very dark crimson (its other name is 'The Black Rose of Sangerhausen'), small but beautiful. I had to downsize, and 'Nigrette' was unhappy with the strong afternoon sun at my place. I saw it after it had spent a winter in a better exposure, and it was doing much better, although I've read that it needs some extra attention.
I will add that 'Betty', the one I mentioned earlier, has just finished her first flush of the season, and the flowers were wonderful, but then, I am personally biased toward this rose, I know not why...

"La France" 1867 is one of the earliest H.T.s and in my eyes one of the 12 best pink H.T.s, I also love its fragrance.
cl. "Mrs. Herbert Stevens". This grows to be a self supporting rosebush of c. 7 feet tall by nearly as wide, that has the twiggy growth habit of a Tea rosebush. Leaflets are a bit small and scanty, if that matters to you.
"Golden Ophelia" darling golden-yellow roses. A small plant suitable for the border.
"Condesa de Sastago" one of my favorite Pernetiana type roses.
Pernetiana roses
"Soleil d'Or" has a growth habit and foliage that is like the wild rose it was bred from, a marvelous rose that shows a lot of character in plant and flower.
I also love "Gruss an Coberg" it is a Pernetiana that is healthy in our no-spray garden and has a re- bloom rate of a Florabunda.

H.T.s from the early 1900's
"Polly" very fragrant and lovely
"Snowbird" a white H.T. from the 1930's that has a bloom style one would expect more from a rose from the 1800's. Very floriferous and quick to re-bloom. Of all of the white roses in the whole wide world, it is one of my top 12 favorites, and I rate it only slightly below the white Tea roses.

Not a Tea but very much like a Tea, with smaller roses, Spray "Cecille Brunner" a sport from the original rose that was bred from a Tea rose and a Polyantha, The bush has the size and twiggy growth habit of a Tea, and like Tea roses in our climate, it retains its foliage far longer in the Autumn, than H.T.s do. The roses are fragrant and dainty in size, pink and very pretty.

I used to dislike the H.T. class as a whole, until I met more of the H.T.s from the 1800's-1930's, a few of which captivated my attention, especially the Pernetiana roses which grow well where I live.
Luxrosa

i only have one but it is a wonder - madame gregoire staechelin a truly beautiful vigorous climber which smells like sweet peas and has a delicious elegant pink nodding flower. I think it is sometimes also called spanish beauty.

I should keep quiet because your climate is like another planet compared to mine, but consider please Pascali. There is a good reason its a parent of many other roses. I also have Ophelia and second the comments made by others about her. Pascali is a slightly stronger grower and bloomer for me with better foliage, but they are both very fine examples of the better hybrid teas. I spray very little to none, and have never needed insecticide, only the very occasional fungicide.

It is great to read what everyone loves and grows, regardless of where in the country you live. I just like knowing these old hybrids are loved by a lot of people, and you'll share your knowledge and experience. I've been making a list and will look all of these up.

In case you're interested, I bought Snowbird, Radiance and Mme. Jules Bouche and cannot WAIT to see what they grow into.

And Magenta, a 1954 Kordes ht/floribunda...